Health insurance help ends as costs rise

| 13/06/2022 | 20 Comments
Cayman News Service

(CNS): The Health Insurance Premium Payment Assistance Programme, the freeze on private pension payments and the tourism stipend programme are all due to come to an end this month. Government has not yet confirmed that employees and workers must start paying into pension funds again next month or what will happen to tourism stipend recipients who have not been rehired or who are working fewer hours than they were before the pandemic. However, the CIG has confirmed that the money paid out to help pay health insurance cover will stop on 20 June.

Premier Wayne Panton has said that government may take another look at the pension freeze, but he has also raised concerns about the impact of the mass withdrawal of funds in 2020 during the country’s lockdown and the two-year pause on mandatory payments into funds. It is not clear if stopping stipend payments will also be reconsidered for some tourism workers since the sector has said it is currently looking at a bleak summer.

However, the health ministry has confirmed the end of health insurance assistance, which was extended in March to give people time to prepare. Ministry officials said 878 people were helped each month to pay their health insurance premiums through the programme, which has cost the public purse over CI$1,170,000

“As this programme culminates, I am grateful that the majority of persons who received aid from us have been able to have their healthcare coverage reinstated due to returning to work,” Health and Wellness Minister Sabrina Turner said, as she thanked the Health Insurance Commission.

Those who still require cover have been directed to use other public resources, such as the Needs Assessment Unit’s indigent insurance programme, officials said. Programme participants have already been notified of the end date.

For more information, contact the Health Insurance Commission
by email at hic@gov.ky or call 946-2084.


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Category: Health, Health Insurance, Policy, Politics

Comments (20)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Beneath the shadows of multimillion dollar developments, there are thousands of people living in extreme poverty.

    Its both madly infuriating and sad, and the business community knows this truth.

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  2. Anonymous says:

    A storm is coming and the signs are in clear view.

    Inflated real estate and rental prices.

    Inflation on petrol, food, utilities, medicine, insurance.

    Inflated travel and airline prices.

    An end to assistance to the people.

    This is a global storm and every country is in danger.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The US is rattling its saber ovwr Taiwan and China and the Federal Reserve is warning of a recession and massive job losses in the states.

      You can be sure the ripple effect will be global.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Thanks to Joe Biden.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    Caymanians…learn to live as our ancestors did…simple wabble y dob houses or wooden steeple roof houses..caboises on outside…catch rain water to wash clothes y bath into cisterns…dont rely solely on the government…my electricity bill 131.56 this month..including a/c…i can afford a bigger place..but i saw this coming….

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    • Anonymous says:

      You missed out wearing whompers and catching turtles. You do realize that the ancestors had a tough existence and not everyone wants to turn the click back to that standard of living – including you it seems as you have ac, something our ancestry certainly didn’t.

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      • Anonymous says:

        They didn’t need a/ c back then because there were lots of trees to give shade and the climate was much cooler.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Lots of trees to give shade….in ypur house? Or do you install ac outside?

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          • Anonymous says:

            lmao are you serious?

            You dont think that a house that has more shade from trees around would be cooler than that with zero? do you know how shade and trees work? :/
            There many a shade trees in my current backyard and in the evenings my living room is MUCH cooler, noticably cooler, than that of my last residence with no trees.

            ……….. i pray this comment is a troll lmao if not, i guess we found the person that doesnt know what a tree is.
            Not the mention it was much cooler in the past as we ALL know climate change is a B***H

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      • Anonymous says:

        Problem is that the modern model is mostly built on a mountain 🏔️ of debt. It wasn’t so bad when it was a hill but now it towers above anything you could even imagine. What we see now are the ghosts of 2008 coming back, no can to kick this time, no money to print and a very very very large tax bill for the Western world. This ends two ways, high taxes and high interest for a decade or more or, alternatively, in another 40% inflation. Either way, a lot will need to make some lifestyle changes which is what the author of the last post has wisely already done and many other debtors (to a larger extent) and even those without debt will need to do. Good luck all

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  4. Anonymous says:

    Second pension withdrawl!

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  5. Anonymous says:

    There goes your fuel break funds.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Perfect timing.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    No we can not afford no more deduction as money too small now bossy

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